Blogs from Spokane, Washington, United States, North America

Friday, late afternoon, we arrived at Staci & Martin's apartment in Spokane, Washington. We lounged around that evening chatting and catching up since we last saw each other on New Year's Day, 4 months ago. Staci & I email, chat/video chat, or text message multiples every week but seeing each other is much more fun. Martin prepared us a Mexican style dinner that was very good and then we decided to go to a local bar to watch the Lakers/Mavericks game. Us ladies were more interested in having a few beers to relax. Saturday morning the 4 of us went to YMCA Central in Spokane as Staci & Martin are members there. Ali Vincent, Biggest Loser Season 5 Winner, recently moved from Arizona to Spokane and was putting on a 30 minute Boot Camp workout. Staci ... read more

Hey guys! I have just recently found out that I have been accepted to Heidi Baker's Harvest School of Missions starting in June! 600 people applied for this school and only 180 were accepted. I applied for this school in Feb and received an e-mail last week saying that I was on the waiting list. Fighting against discouragement and doubt I kept pressing into God knowing that He would get me there if He wanted me there. After many sleepless nights filled with prayer, worship, and seeking God, I received an e-mail that turned my whole world upside down. I am still in shock that I was accepted! I have a little over 3 weeks to apply and receive a visa, book a flight, and come up with the money to get there and back. Please ... read more

Driving through on the interstate, Spokane appears to be a sprawling mess of begrimed grain elevators. Anyone who has briefly visited will snidely say, "Well, it's certainly no Seattle." It’s true that much of Spokane isn’t pretty but there are some nice areas and it’s big enough that after four months I am still discovering hidden gems. Spokane offers all the amenities of big city but retains a nice town-like feel. It’s easy to escape the city – for example, the rural farm where I live is only 15 minutes from downtown. On the hand, Spokane’s size ensures that there are always events and interesting things to do. Aside from the daily Spokesman-Review, there are a few alternative weekly newspapers that keep locals informed with restaurant reviews, upcoming events, and area activities. There are three community ... read more

I am heading to Australia and Bali to start the new year. Enjoy reading about my journey and see you next year!... read more

Entry 20: Glacier National Park, Mont. to Cascades National Park, Washington: Two Daze Worth of Tired Driving Thursday, Aug. 5 - Sat. August 7, 2010 A $63 Dollar Luxury: Motel 6! Getting a late leaving time, as Glacier had cast its cool spell of Sophie the dog and me, I was totally exhausted. The sign to Kalispell read 70 miles, and although Sophie was sleeping soundly next to me, I had to try and stay awake. It was my original goal to leave earlier, driving further west with the next large goal of North Cascades National Park (with the ultimate destination of Seattle). But, I was getting a little antsy about not actually publishing onto the blog (some of the writing and photos were done, but there was no way to post all the data with ... read more

Terrific family get-together in St. John, WA on June 19th...Mom's 82nd birthday. Dad's 89th birthday was the 18th, and my nephew Marshall's 14th birthday was the 20th. A good time was had by all...check out the photos :)... read more

Just north of New Meadows, on US 95, we passed a sign that read “45th Parallel, Halfway Between the Equator and the North Pole.” We’d never seen a sign like that before. The Little Salmon River ran alongside the road, first on one side, then the other, until we reached Riggins, where the Salmon River joined the Little Salmon. All around Riggins, cars, trucks and campers lined the roads. The banks of the river were crowded with fishermen, fishing for salmon. After the confluence the river widened and we saw boats anchored in the river with people fishing from them. We stopped in Spalding at the Nez Perce National Monument Visitor Center and Museum. The exhibits were really special and very interesting. We left Idaho at Lewiston and drove north in eastern Washington through the Palouse ... read more